Photomask protective film crowbar

Abstract

The utility model discloses a crowbar for a photomask protective film. The crowbar comprises a handle, a fulcrum, a needle body, a needle head and a support body, the handle is fixedly connected with the fulcrum, the needle body is welded and fixed to the side face of the fulcrum through a cutting groove, and the tail end of the needle body and the needle head are integrally formed into a sheet-shaped structure with the thickness larger than 1.5 mm. The bottom of the supporting point is connected with a supporting body through a movable clamping tenon, and the supporting body is made of a square Teflon material with a smooth surface. The fulcrum is driven to rotate by pressing down the handle, the needle body drives the needle head to draw an arc with the fulcrum as the circle center, the needle head is inserted into an adhesive interface of a protective film and a photomask, and prizing is achieved by utilizing the lever principle. The supporting body is independently attached to the surface of the photomask, disperses working pressure and limits shaking of the fulcrum.

Description

A photomask protective film pry bar Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of photomask processing, and in particular to a photomask protective film pry bar. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing field, photomasks are a core component of the photolithography process, and the protective film covering their surface prevents the adhesion of dust and other contaminants. When it is necessary to replace or repair the protective film, a pry bar is required to remove the adhesive connection between it and the photomask. However, existing pry bars for removing the protective film of semiconductor photomasks have the following significant drawbacks, which restrict operational efficiency and the safety of precision devices:

[0003] Existing pry bars typically use thin metal needles (as shown in Figure 2, 404), which have a small cross-sectional area and weak bending resistance. In actual operation, due to the strong adhesive force between the protective film and the photomask, the pry bar needs to apply a large torque, causing the needle tip to easily break due to stress concentration. Furthermore, traditional pry bars often use a separate welded structure for the needle tip and body (or fulcrum) (as shown in Figure 2, the connection between 404 and 402). The welded parts are prone to detachment during repeated force application, causing the needle tip to separate from the main body. This not only affects the work progress, but the detached metal fragments can also contaminate the photomask surface, leading to serious problems such as decreased photolithography yield. For example, although patent document CN217639925U mentions using a pry bar to remove the protective film, it does not consider the possibility of the needle tip breaking due to stress concentration.

[0004] The existing pry bar handles (Figure 2, 401) are limited by their overall structural design, resulting in excessively thin dimensions and a monotonous shape, making it difficult to meet ergonomic grip requirements. During prolonged operation, users are prone to finger fatigue due to pressure from the handle, which can even lead to a decrease in operational precision. Furthermore, the fulcrum of traditional pry bars (Figure 2, 402) is limited by the size of the photomask aluminum frame removal hole (Figure 2, 202), forcing the use of a thin structure, which further weakens the stability of the handle when applying force, creating a vicious cycle of "thin fulcrum → difficult to apply force with the handle → laborious operation".

[0005] Existing pry bars have too small a contact area between the needle tip and the photomask surface. During operation, the pressure is concentrated at the tip, easily causing indentations or scratches on the photomask surface. For example, in traditional designs, the needle only makes point contact with the photomask, resulting in localized pressures of hundreds of megapascals, far exceeding the photomask surface's tolerance limit. Furthermore, due to the lack of an independent support structure, the fulcrum of the pry bar is prone to shifting during prying, causing the needle tip to exert a lateral thrust on the photomask, further exacerbating the risk of surface damage and severely impacting the yield and performance of semiconductor devices.

[0006] While automated equipment can remove protective films without damage, it is expensive and difficult to adapt to diverse field operation scenarios (such as emergency repairs and small-batch production). Therefore, manual pry bars remain an indispensable tool in semiconductor production lines, but their existing technological shortcomings urgently need to be addressed through structural innovation.

[0007] In summary, existing pry bars for removing protective films from semiconductor photomasks have significant shortcomings in terms of structural strength, operational comfort, and photomask protection. There is an urgent need to develop a new pry bar design that combines high reliability, ease of operation, and precision protection capabilities to meet the stringent requirements of semiconductor manufacturing processes for high-precision, low-damage operations. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The objective of this invention is to provide a photomask protective film pry bar. This pry bar uses a one-piece forming process of a sheet-like needle head and a circular cylindrical needle body, eliminating the weak connection points of the traditional split welding structure and preventing the needle head from breaking or separating from the main body during operation.

[0009] Therefore, this utility model provides a photomask protective film pry bar, characterized in that it includes:

[0010] The handle is for the user to hold and transmits the force of pressing down the handle to the fulcrum.

[0011] The fulcrum serves as the pivot point for the rotation of the handle;

[0012] The needle body, fixed to a fulcrum, connects the handle and the needle tip, and transmits the force applied by the handle to the needle tip; and

[0013] A needle is used to pry open the protective film attached to a photomask.

[0014] In one embodiment of this utility model, it is characterized by further comprising:

[0015] A support body that rotatably supports the fulcrum.

[0016] In one embodiment of this utility model, the handle is rigidly connected to the needle body, and the included angle between the two is 30° to 150°.

[0017] In one embodiment of this utility model, the fulcrum and the support body are connected by a movable tenon.

[0018] In one embodiment of this utility model, the needle body and the needle tip are integrally formed parts.

[0019] In one embodiment of this utility model, the needle body is fixed to the fulcrum by cutting a groove and then welding it.

[0020] In one embodiment of this utility model, the support is a square structure made of Teflon material with a flat bottom surface that directly contacts the photomask surface.

[0021] In one embodiment of this utility model, the needle tip has a sheet-like structure.

[0022] In one embodiment of this utility model, the thickness of the needle is less than the thickness of the aluminum frame disassembly hole of the photomask.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the needle body is configured to adapt to the shape of the aluminum frame disassembly hole of the photomask, and the depth is less than the depth of the aluminum frame disassembly hole.

[0024] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] (1) The needle head and needle body are integrated into one piece. The process of forming the sheet needle head and the cylindrical needle body in one piece eliminates the weak connection points of the traditional split welding structure and avoids the needle head breaking or separating from the main body during operation (solving the defect of "easy breakage of the lever needle head"). The sheet needle head is thicker than 1.5mm, and the cross-sectional area is 5-10 times larger than that of traditional thin needles. The bending strength is increased by more than 300%, and it can withstand a larger prying torque.

[0026] (2) The needle body is welded to the fulcrum after being cut into a groove, forming a rigid integral structure. When rotating, the force is transmitted more directly, reducing the risk of deformation caused by the thin structure of the traditional fulcrum.

[0027] (3) The fulcrum and the support are separated by a movable latch design, which allows the fulcrum to rotate independently. This avoids the problem of the handle being too thin due to the limited height of the fulcrum in the traditional structure. The handle can be optimized to a coarse diameter design that conforms to ergonomics (such as increasing the diameter to 15-20mm), making the grip more stable.

[0028] (4) The support body is made of square Teflon material. The bottom area is 5-8 times larger than the contact area of ​​the traditional pry bar fulcrum. During operation, it is in close contact with the photomask surface to form a stable support base, reducing the operation deviation caused by the pry bar shaking. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the photomask protective film pry bar structure in one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0030] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the crowbar structure in the prior art. Detailed Implementation

[0031] In the following description, the present invention is described with reference to various embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more specific details or with other alternatives and / or additional methods, materials, or components. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail so as not to obscure the inventive aspects of the present invention. Similarly, for illustrative purposes, specific quantities, materials, and configurations are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific details.

[0032] In this utility model, the various embodiments are merely intended to illustrate the solution of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting.

[0033] In this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "this embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to all of the same embodiment.

[0034] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the photomask protective film pry bar structure in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the photomask protective film pry bar includes:

[0037] The handle 101, typically cylindrical or elliptical, may have a non-slip textured surface and is made of high-strength engineering plastic or metal, balancing lightweight design with grip stability. It is rigidly connected to the fulcrum 102 to ensure no relative displacement when force is applied. The user applies downward or rotational force by gripping the handle 101, which is transmitted through the handle to the fulcrum 102, driving the entire pry bar movement.

[0038] The fulcrum 102 is a spherical base with a radius of 2mm in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1. A movable latch structure at the bottom is installed on the support body 105, 1mm away from the edge of the support body 105. The top of the fulcrum 102 is fixed to the handle, and a needle mounting groove is provided on the side, which is welded to the needle body 103 after slotting. As the physical fulcrum for the rotation of the pry bar, it follows the lever principle (effort arm × effort = resistance arm × resistance), optimizing the force amplification effect by adjusting the fulcrum position. The needle body 103 is fixed to the handle 101, and simultaneously connected to the support body via the movable latch, forming a linkage system of "handle - fulcrum - needle body - support body".

[0039] The needle body 103 is shaped to fit the aluminum frame removal hole of the photomask and is slightly smaller than the aluminum frame removal hole. One end is integrally formed with the needle tip 104, and the other end is embedded in the fulcrum groove. The whole body is formed by wire cutting or CNC machining, avoiding the stress concentration problem of traditional split welding. It is used to convert the downward pressure of the handle into the prying torque of the needle tip, while bearing the bending stress generated by the prying force.

[0040] The needle 104 is a rectangular sheet-like structure, 1.5mm long and 1mm wide, integrally formed with the needle body 103, and is made of wear-resistant metal (such as tungsten steel) or has a surface coating. The sheet-like structure inserts into the adhesive gap between the protective film and the photomask, dispersing stress through a large contact area and preventing breakage due to stress concentration, as is common with traditional fine needles. Integrating it with the needle body eliminates weak points in the welding process, avoiding the risk of traditional needles detaching.

[0041] The support body 105 is a square or rectangular plate with a flat, matte-finished bottom. It is made of flexible engineering materials such as Teflon (PTFE) or polyurethane (PU) and can be detached and installed via a movable latch (such as a spring clip) at the bottom of the fulcrum 102, facilitating the replacement of worn parts. The flexible material and large bottom surface (contact area 100-400mm²) evenly distribute the pressure of the pry bar, with local pressure ≤0.1MPa (traditional solutions can reach 0.5-1MPa), avoiding indentation damage. The chemically stable Teflon and other materials do not react with the photomask surface coating, preventing contamination. During operation, the support body remains in close contact with the photomask surface. The movable latch allows the fulcrum to rotate while the support body remains stationary, forming a combination of "stable base + dynamic fulcrum," reducing operational deviations caused by pry bar swaying.

[0042] When using this pry bar to remove the protective film, first insert the needle 103 into the aluminum frame removal hole 202 pre-drilled on the aluminum frame 201. The user grips the handle 101 firmly with their palm and applies pressure diagonally downwards. The handle 101 is rigidly connected to the fulcrum 102, and the pressure is directly transmitted to the fulcrum 102, driving the fulcrum 102 to rotate around the plane of the support body 105. The fulcrum 102 rotates in an arc around the contact point between the support body 105 and the photomask. The needle body 103 is fixed to the side of the fulcrum by welding and rotates synchronously with the fulcrum. The support body 105 is connected to the bottom of the fulcrum 102 by a movable latch, allowing the fulcrum 102 to rotate but restricting its vertical detachment from the photomask surface. The needle body 103 drives the needle tip 104 to draw an arc around the fulcrum 102. The front end of the needle tip 104 cuts into the adhesive interface between the protective film and the photomask, forming a prying torque. After the protective film is completely peeled off, slowly lift the handle 101, and the needle 104 will exit along the original path. The support body 105 will continue to stick to the photomask until the pry bar is completely removed to prevent the photomask from being hit by inertia during exit.

[0043] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the crowbar structure in the prior art.

[0044] Its 404 needle uses a single metal needle structure. Limited by traditional manufacturing processes, this design suffers from several structural defects:

[0045] The metal needles are typically only 0.5-1mm in diameter, with a small cross-sectional area and lacking stress dispersion design. When prying the protective film, the needle tip is subjected to shear force exceeding the material's yield strength (approximately 200MPa), making it highly susceptible to breakage (the breaking load is only 5-10N). Furthermore, the metal needles are spot-welded to the fulcrum 402, with a weld penetration of less than 0.3mm. During high-frequency operations, the weld joints are prone to cracking, causing the needle tip to separate from the main body. The detached metal debris may contaminate the precision surface of the photomask.

[0046] The height limitation of the photomask aluminum frame disassembly hole 202 forces the thickness of the fulcrum 402 to be compressed to 1-1.5mm, which in turn limits the diameter of the handle 401 to 8-10mm, making it difficult to meet the comfortable grip curvature of the human hand (the ideal grip diameter is 15-20mm). Operators need to squeeze the handle with excessive force, which can easily cause finger fatigue or even muscle strain, and the continuous operation time at one time is usually no more than 15 minutes.

[0047] Compared to traditional designs, this solution achieves a performance breakthrough through the innovative configuration of the needle body 103 and the needle tip 104:

[0048] Using an integrated processing technology, the thickness of the 104 needle is controlled to 1.5-2mm. At the same time, the vertical height between the needle and the photomask contact surface is reduced to 2-3mm through milling process (the height of traditional metal needles is 5-8mm), which precisely matches the space constraints of the aluminum frame disassembly hole and avoids pry bar jamming caused by height interference.

[0049] The needle body 103 adopts a cylindrical long rod structure (5-8cm in length), which extends the rotation radius of the needle tip during operation from 2-3cm in the traditional design to 4-7cm. Based on the lever principle (effort arm: resistance arm = 2:1), the force applied to the handle can be reduced by 50%. At the same time, the larger arc trajectory allows the needle tip to cut into the protective film adhesive layer at a gentler angle (≤15°), reducing the instantaneous impact force (peak force reduced from 15N to below 8N), eliminating the risk of needle breakage and separation at the source. Actual testing shows that this design can withstand a continuous lateral force of 50N without breakage or displacement, improving operational stability by more than 5 times.

[0050] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not as limitations. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various combinations, modifications, and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present invention disclosed herein should not be limited by the exemplary embodiments disclosed above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A photomask protective film pry bar, characterized in that, include: The handle is for the user to hold and transmits the force of pressing down the handle to the fulcrum; the fulcrum is the point at which the handle rotates. The needle body, fixed to the fulcrum, is used to connect the handle and the needle tip and to transmit the force of the handle to the needle tip; and the needle tip is used to pry open the protective film attached to the photomask.

2. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A support body that rotatably supports the fulcrum.

3. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The handle is rigidly connected to the needle body, and the included angle between the two is 30° to 150°.

4. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fulcrum and the support are connected by a movable tenon.

5. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle body and needle tip are integrally formed parts.

6. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle body is fixed to the fulcrum by cutting a groove and then welding it.

7. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support is a square structure made of Teflon material with a flat bottom surface that directly contacts the photomask surface.

8. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle has a sheet-like structure.

9. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the needle tip is less than the thickness of the aluminum frame disassembly hole of the photomask.

10. The photomask protective film pry bar according to claim 9, characterized in that, The needle body is configured to fit the shape of the aluminum frame removal hole of the photomask, and its depth is less than the depth of the aluminum frame removal hole.

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